1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a material handling apparatus and, more particularly, to such a material handling apparatus which is particularly well suited to the delivery of work materials to a predetermined point of discharge while processing those materials during such delivery.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A wide variety of environments exist within which materials of any of a wide variety of types must be delivered to a predetermined location and which, during such delivery, may be processed in any of a wide variety of respects. For example, it is known to mix constituent materials for a predetermined purpose during delivery to a discharge point. Thus, in the case of the preparation and delivery of concrete, it is known to mix the constituent materials including, in general, cement, gravel, sand, water and the like, until immediately prior to delivery to a discharge point.
Another environment within which constituent materials have been known to be mixed during such delivery is in the case of such end products as animal food, plant food, and a host of different end products which must be processed and intermixed to produce the desired resultant product. Such processes may be performed on a commercial basis internally within the plant which produces the end product or may, of necessity, need to be performed by the end user a relatively short period of time prior to consumption. A manufacturer may have the ability to construct and modify an assembly line, or processing line, for purposes of achieving the desired result. This capability may not be available to those constituting end users who must employ whatever equipment is commercially available for the desired purpose.
In the production of feed materials, whether at the manufacturing level or at the consumer level, it is known to use augers having portions operable to process fibrous material while mixing the constituent materials employed in producing the end product. For example, the Curfman et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,999 is directed to an animal feed mixing system wherein an auger mounts a plurality of inserts having cutting edges positioned at spaced locations in notches therefor extending in spaced relation to each other about the peripheral edge of the auger flight. As stated in the Curfman et al. patent, the inserts coact with the sides of the mixer to cut and chop fibrous material so that it can be better intermixed with other feed components.
In practice, however, it has been found that the composition of such animal, or other materials, vary widely, whether specifically employed as animal feed or in the case of the multiplicity of other environments of usage. Consequently, the capability for processing such materials is similarly varied. This problem is particularly acute in those instances, as previously identified, wherein the specific composition consumed is produced by the end user. In such instances, the end user must mix a plurality of constituent components which vary widely in form, fiber content, resistance to severing or commutation, and may possess a host of other physical properties which may render difficult the production of the desired end product. As noted, a major limitation is the success with which the desired end products can be produced. An additional limitation, particularly for the end user, is the ability of the commercially available equipment to handle and adequately process the constituent components without damage thereto. For these reasons, frequently certain constituent materials must be separately mixed, or otherwise acquired, because the available commercial equipment is incapable dependably of accomplishing the desired result.
Still further, it is known that prior art material handling devices characteristically may require an inordinate amount of time in processing the materials to achieve the desired result. This is not only expensive, but may result in the optimum composition for the end product not being attained.
Therefore, it has long been known that it would be desirable to have a material handling apparatus which is widely adaptable to a host of operative environments within which one or more constituent materials must be processed to achieve a desired resultant end product; which operates to sever a plurality of constituent materials which may be of widely varying characteristics in order to achieve the desired result; which is operable more quickly and effectively to intermix constituent components to produce a result end product; which is particularly well suited to the production of feed materials, whether for animals, plant life, humans or in virtually any other operative environment; which can more effectively be employed by end users in producing the precise desired product to be consumed at the site of such consumption; and which is otherwise successful in achieving its operational objectives.